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Hi guys and im wondering if anyone has run into my woes. I have a new S2000 upon which I installed a 4IG cold air intake, the car ran fine but when it started to rain, I ran into weird problems. After being parked overnight while raining, I started my car and notice huge plumes of white smoke. There was no smell of coolant or oil however but lots of white smoke for 30 seconds or so. I thought this maybe condensation but am not sure. The next day i tried to start my car, it would not start at all and after lots of a finaggling, it finally started but was sputtering for 30 seconds or so and i had to rev it higher for it to hold idle, it then ran fine once warmed up. The car runs fine and starts fine but when i leave my car parked overnight when its raining, im having problems. I thought maybe i could have moisture coming into the filter but am unsure if thats a possibility, i do not have front grills however i did cut out the side plastic piece behind the nose to allow more air in laterally, as stated in the CAI install instructions. Im not sure if its a moisture issue or not but am curious if anyone has any ideas or has also run into the same problem
Ive been wondering the effectivity of these CAI's as the inlet tubing runs very hot in the summer due to engine heat. I think the stock plastic box does a better job of prevent the air from heat. You would think the shorter length of the stock box's inlet tube would promote more flow at higher rpms.
You mention that you got a CEL (check engine light) so I'm assuming that all your vacuum lines are correct. From your description (fake ducts cut-out, standing in the rain, white smoke), I'm going to conclude that water is getting into the filter area and ultimately soaking your filter material completely by capillary action overnite. The water must also be getting into that area by some other route as well - perhaps through the gap between the headlight and the bumper cap. After running the car for a minute or so as you say, you have most likely sucked all the critical moisture from the filter, allowing the engine to run well again. Try to confirm my ideas about where the water is getting in from and proceed from there.
As for the other comment about the pipe being hot, don't worry about it too much. The moving air inside the tube won't hang around long enough to pick up the heat badly. Have a look here: https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=75713
Thanks guys for the quick responses. Well as you stated XViper, i went ahead and checked for possible areas where moisture could get in. I placed my hands upon the air filter from reaching through the front bumper grill openings and could feel moisture upon the filter at only one side and feel as if its entering from the plastic area that i cut out from the side plastic piece. Thats the only place where moisture can enter as everything else is closed off. I guess im going to have to somehow glue back the cutout or place tape there. I guess picking up air down in the front fender are will still be cooler then from the factory air box but this aside
On a technical note XViper, i read your articles, but im curious as youd think the longer pipes of the CAI would increase low end torque but sacrifice hp at the high end as generally thats how most intake manifolds and plenums perform..
Originally posted by ksalik On a technical note XViper, i read your articles, but im curious as youd think the longer pipes of the CAI would increase low end torque but sacrifice hp at the high end as generally thats how most intake manifolds and plenums perform..
Thanks again, Cal
I don't recall making any comments of this nature in my threads OR, are you making your own comment here? Generally, you are correct, many people have commented that the Injen/AEM/4IG type of CAI feels like it's getting a bit "winded" in the last 1000 rpm of the rev range in this car. It has also been noted that this type of intake does produce some gains across the board, thus making it a "performance" intake as well as a CAI. Anyway, that's getting a bit off the topic.
BTW, after you installed the intake, did you reset the ECU? Anytime you mod the way the engine breathes (intake, exhaust, cams, etc) you should reset the ECU so it can learn a bit quicker to adapt and make better use of the new mod.
Your car sat out in the rain and now its sputtering....its called hydrolock. Its not a black and white phenomina....there are degrees. Your sucking water that has collected in the pipe and the filter.
Once again here is the problem we are addressing.
We are building a kit that will help prevent this situation from running water draining thru the drain hole of the fender which falls directly onto the filter. Being that its summer time it still has been in the R&D phase, we ran into 1 problem with one of our protype designs, and that was space
check out this simple picture to show the problem of CAIs when the car is left in the rain
Starting Prob after CAI install
Generally, you are correct, many people have commented that the Injen/AEM/4IG type of CAI feels like it's getting a bit "winded" in the last 1000 rpm of the rev range in this car. It has also been noted that this type of intake does produce some gains across the board, thus making it a "performance" intake as well as a CAI. Anyway, that's getting a bit off the topic.
